Two arrested after deputy spots stolen vehicle

Related Media

A Nevada County Sheriff’s deputy on the lookout for a stolen Honda arrested two men after allegedly spotting them trying to wipe their fingerprints from the car in question.

The deputy saw the car in the parking lot of an auto parts store in the 100 block of Idaho-Maryland Road in Grass Valley at about 10:30 p.m. Thursday, said Sheriff Keith Royal. The car, which was parked in the middle of the lot on the side of the building, allegedly was fitted with commercial vehicle license plates instead of passenger plates.

A check of the VIN number determined that the plates had been reported stolen from Grass Valley, Royal said. It was not clear where the Honda had been stolen; earlier Thursday, a caller from Sutton Way reported the theft of two vehicle plates.

The deputy began a surveillance and saw the two men walk up to the car, Royal said.

One of the men, identified as Michael Hoyett Bowden, 30, allegedly acted as a lookout while Robert Johnathan McGrath, 27, reportedly sprayed Teflon on the door handle, dash, console and steering wheel in an apparent attempt to conceal his fingerprints.

The two men left on foot but were apprehended nearby, Royal said.

Bowden was arrested on suspicion of criminal conspiracy, possessing stolen property and being under the influence of a controlled substance. He was booked into county jail and was being held in lieu of $11,000 bail.

McGrath was arrested on suspicion of criminal conspiracy, possessing stolen property and violating probation, as well as two outstanding felony warrants. He was booked into county jail and was being held without bail.